We’ll pay your fees offer by Boys’ Brigade
£10k boost for struggling families
Stirling and District Battalion of the Boys’ Brigade has opened the coffers to generously support boys, families and the seven local BB companies to encourage membership.
The local area committee overseeing Stirling and Clackmannanshire has offered to pay the registration fees of all boys and leaders to BB HQ for the new 2020/21 session with a £10,000 funding boost.
Registration fees are normally charged at the start of the year with groups adding their own amounts to the fee due to BB headquarters and some taking a weekly meeting subs payment, too. In recognition of the changed circumstances many families and BB companies now face, the battalion has dug deep to support.
Stirling and District Battalion president, Iain Goring, said: “We know many families may be struggling financially as a result of job losses or reduced income and we want to make sure that this isn’t a barrier to boys joining - or rejoining - Boys’ Brigade.
“The organisation has so much to offer boys and young men and the social skills, outdoor experiences, confidence-building and simply living live to the full will all take on an even greater level of importance now.”
In addition to the £22.50 per boy/ leader being covered, the battalion will also offer discounts on uniform from its supplies depot, with the option for BB groups to pay this off over time. Local groups can still charge a joining fee but the saving will be passed on to parents, who are free to donate extra to their group if they wish.
Highlighting that fundraising will be now be more difficult too, battalion secretary Fraser Boyd, added: “For many groups, their tried-and-tested fundraising events simply can’t happen at the moment - coffee mornings, bag-packing, ceilidhs, etc - and we are fortunate that the battalion has substantial funds at its disposal.
“We are a forward-thinking group and recognise that if this isn’t the ‘rainy day’ we had saved funds for, what would be?
“We are delighted to offer this support to our seven groups across Stirling and Clackmannanshire and hope that when they are able to get going in the autumn, this will make a real difference to the activities they are able to provide and that all families will be able to access BB for their boys.”
For more information on the Boys’ Brigade in Stirling and Clackmannanshire, visit www. stirlingbb.org.uk or Facebook.com/ Stirlingclacksbb. Call 01786 821387 or e-mail secretary@stirlingbb.org.uk. Groups are in Alloa, Clackmannan, Dunblane, Stirling, St Ninians and Tillicoultry.
More information about start dates will be published in the next few weeks.